Take a fascinating peek into the minds behind some top restaurants and their signature styles – Felicity O’Driscoll of Cook the Books picks her favourite books by chefs. Visit the shop at 78 Kelmarna Ave, Ponsonby, Auckland or go to cookthebooks.co.nz

SUPERNORMAL

ANDREW MCCONNELL, HARDIE GRANT, $50

Rather than just reprint such a requested title from 2015 it was deemed time for a refresh: a new cover, refreshed design and new recipes including the iconic lobster roll. Andrew McConnell spent five years heading up kitchens in Shanghai and Hong Kong and immersed himself not just in Chinese street food and home cooking, but also Korean and Japanese. It is these flavours that are faithfully recreated here for the home cook.

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IKOYI

JEREMY CHAN, PHAIDON, $100

This is a stunning debut cookbook from the chef/ owner of one of the world’s top 50 restaurants. Jeremy Chan acknowledges that few home cooks will have the tools or skill to cook any of the 80 dishes, which may contain 100 ingredients over 6 recipes! While we may not cook from it, reading of the creation of a dish is the reason to own the book, to appreciate the thought process before the plate reaches the table.

THE FOOD I LOVE: A NEW EDITION

NEIL PERRY, MURDOCH BOOKS, $70

First published in 2005, this seminal book is now re-imagined for a new generation of both home cooks and professional chefs. It’s full of handy hints and kitchen references such as ‘how to truss a chook’ and ‘how best to hold your knife’. Aside from more than 200 faultless recipes, there is just so much of Neil’s wisdom in the book that has been gleaned from a lifetime in both the home and professional kitchen.

FISH BUTCHERY

JOSH NILAND, HARDIE GRANT, $80

It’s coming – put it on the wish list! The third book from acclaimed Sydney restaurateur Josh Niland is an absolute game changer. When 50% of the world’s catch is already wasted, we then go on to waste a further 25% in the kitchen. This is about what we catch, how we prepare it and how not to waste any of it. More than 40 pages are devoted to the necessary techniques for preparing our catch and the recipes are further classics from his restaurant St Peter, including a full section on fish charcuterie.